Independent evaluation of the Maternity and Neonatal (MatNeo) Coaching Programme

Health Innovation Wessex was commissioned to support the Maternity and Neonatal (MatNeo) Safety Improvement Programme (SIP) preterm optimisation quality improvement activity. The project provided four MatNeo teams in the South of England with external coaching based on culture, behaviours and outcomes to support the teams to become highly functioning, improving communication, psychological safety and the effectiveness of the quality improvement work and outcomes. The coaching was provided between December 2022 and November 2023. This report describes the experience and impact of the coaching and focuses on the acceptability and impact of the coaching intervention. The report concludes the coaching was educational, useful and the staff highly valued the flexible and adaptive approach to the coaching. A  pattern of improvement in many aspects of team working (role clarity and positive and supportive relationships) was observed and a wide range of positive benefits to staff and patients were identified.  All four MatNeo teams reported the coaching positively impacted on their preterm optimisation objectives/processes.